Resistant Culture Headlines Benefit Show for OC Dream Team

The DREAM Act is back in the news and a show this Friday in Fullerton featuring Resistant Culture will benefit the local efforts of the Orange County Dream Team. The federal legislation providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrant youth who attend college or enlist in the military was reintroduced in Congress yesterday but with grimmer prospects for passing than when it was defeated last year.

The California DREAM Act,meanwhile,cleared a hurdle in the State Assembly last week. It provides no means of legalization, but would make private scholarships available to undocumented students seeking to attend colleges and universities in the state.

As both pieces of legislation make their way to their prospective fates, the OC Dream Team is busy at the grassroots level assembling a number of bands to perform for a purpose on Friday the 13th at Riff Haus Studios. "The show is a benefit show where the money will go towards scholarships for AB 540 students who are pursuing a college education," say OCDT member Maria Zacarias. "The fundraiser was put together with help from the band Resistant Culture, Bones Booking and OC Pyrate Punx."

As the headlining metal-punk band, playing for a cause is nothing new for Resistant Culture, "We've done numerous fundraisers," drummer Ben Axiom tells me. "It's a mission of our band to draw people to positive and empowering struggles." That focus is part of the native wisdom ethos that the musician says guides Resistant Culture. "This is probably the first event we've done for this issue,"Axiom mentions in terms of Friday's show supporting undocumented students.

"We have an album All One Struggle and we try to raise awareness and build solidarity with different movements."